Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Best medium range medium priced scope?

I am thinking of going up to 12-14x on a couple of rifles that currently have decent 3-9 scopes on them. I want to make sure that I don't loose ground on higher magnification and give up light gathering and clarety, but also don't want to spend a fortune for alpha glass.

I don't turn turrets but do like dotes or ballistic plex reticles. I don't like bulky heavy scopes so prefer 1" tibe and around 44mm maximum objective.

Will I be taking a step backward to go from something like a VX-3, Meopta, or Minox 3-9X to higher magnification scope like the Freedom 4-12x?

Rifles vary from 17 Rem. 257 WBY, to 270 WSM. I rarely shoot game past 4-500 yards so I may not need more magnification at all.

4-500 yards? you need no more magnification.

Are you his eye doctor? You know his vision and what it requires (in magnification) for him to make 4-500 yard shots on game? Interesting..

I use a Leupold 3-9x Patrol on my .308 Remington 20” SPS. It’s no problem ringing 8” steel at 600 yards. Just dial a turret, get really quiet and sqeeeeeeeze...

I’m 51 with reading glasses.

Not that much more $ than the freedom - I think this would meet all your stated desires quite well.
Meopta 4.5-14x44 bdc
https://cameralandny.com/shop/brand...0137-06f9-00163e90e196?variation=1927203

I went the "bigger is better" route, First a 4-12, then a 4.5-14, Great glass, I've yet to use the higher magnification. Seems I set up for a long shot and end up hunting closer and getting around 200 yds.....

It seems I'm learning what others have known all along: A .30/06 and 3-9 Leupold then save the $$ for hunting trips and taxidermy bills!!

3.5x10 Leupold

Meopta Meopro 4.5-14x44 Z-Plex on nsale for $479.99

Dang allowers, just ordered the Meopta from Cameraland, I know I will like it. The main benefit other than targets and "sploding" rocks at 800 will be to tell me I am too shaky to take a longer shot on game, which is a good benefit. This scope will be equal or better than the 9xs so other than weight no negatives.

Gracia's Doug.

since i don`t see as well as i did when i was young, i do as Tim the tool man said : more power 4.5-14 x50 or bigger

I’ve been using the Zeiss hd5 3-15x50 with Z800 reticle on my elk gun 300 Weatherby and it is just terrific. Sighted in at 225 the reticle matches my hand loads out all the way to 800 yards. Bought the similar reticle 6-24 in the new V4 for a Creedmoor target /PRS Bergara chassis and hit targets out to 1100 yards.

If buying new I’d pay about 700 for the 4-16x50 at Redhawk Rifles with that similar reticle. For 60 year old eyes in wide open spaces it would really be tough to beat bang for the buck. That Meopro from Doug might be a little better deal (tried to convince future son in law to buy that instead of VX3i in 3.5-10) but it is not a better scope in my opinion.

He never said he had eye issues otherwise my response would have been different.

My eyes are old but mostly short shortsightedness. At 9X sometimes I cant see holes in the black on targets esp. 200+ yds. Dark shadows I can see game in low light with my Leica 10X that are hard for me to pick up with the rifle scope. The Meopro is pretty good so the extra magnification might help at 7-8 X where on the 3-9s the maximum exit pupil is around 5-6X depending on Objective and make.

This is also I just wanted to try something new as I have only used above 10X on target rifles, I know the 3-9s would not be a handicap at any sane (for me) ranges but think the slightly higher magnification could help and if it doesn't then I can always reduce back to 10X. For target shooting I am sure it will help.